Practice Policies & Patient Information
Complaints Handling Procedure
Read/Download our Complaints Procedure
‘If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you have the option of contacting the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO). The SPSO cannot normally look at:
- a complaint that has not completed our complaints procedure
- events that happened, or that you became aware of, more than 12 months ago
- a matter that has been or is being considered in court.
The SPSO’s contact details are:
Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
Bridgeside House,
99 McDonald Road,
Edinburgh
EH7 4NS
or
Freephone: 0800 377 7330
Online contact: www.spso.org.uk/contact-us
Website: www.spso.org.uk
Mobile site: http://m.spso.org.uk
(Please note: a freepost envelope can be supplied by calling the Freephone number or using the online contact form)’
Data Protection Act – Use of Patient Information
All members of staff in the practice are bound by a strict code of confidentiality, as are all other members of the health and social work professions who may become involved in your care. There are some circumstances where it is necessary for us to share some information in your medical records with other individuals, or to allow individuals outwith the practice to see your medical records. Sometimes the information released will identify you by name, and sometimes it can be anonymous. In some circumstances we are legally required to pass on information. The release of information relates to the following categories:
Care and Treatment
Record keeping of your care and treatment, and disclosure of information to other medical, nursing or social work staff involved in your care e.g. referral to a hospital specialist or monitoring of referrals.
Administration
Disclosure of information required, enabling the practice to verify claims for payment of fees and allocation of resources for providing patient care.
Research and Teaching
Statutory and non-statutory disclosure of information for disease registers, to monitor the occurrence of diseases in populations.
Information required for clinical trials and research.
Information used in educating health professionals.
Non-health Purposes
Disclosure of information to the police or other authorities e.g. under the terms of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.
If you do not want information in your records to be released as above, please let us know.
Under the Data Protection Act 1998, you have the right to see your medical records. If desired, please submit a request in writing to the practice. We will allow you access to your records within 40 days of receiving your request.
Duty of Candor
Dr Jennifer T Craig Dr Gavin Stephen Dr Toni Fawcett Oldmeldrum Health Centre |
Academy Way Oldmeldrum Inverurie AB51 0JZ Tel 0345 013 0730 Fax (01651) 871520 |
DUTY OF CANDOR
ANNUAL REPORT
YEAR END 31ST MARCH 2019
All health and social care services in Scotland have a duty of candour. This is a legal requirement which means that when things go wrong and mistakes happen, the people affected understand what has happened, receive an apology, and that organisations learn how to improve for the future.
An important part of this duty is that we provide an annual report about the duty of candour in our services.
This short report describes how our care service has operated the duty of candour during the time between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2019.
We hope you find this report useful.
1. How many incidents happened to which the duty of candour applies? In the last year, there have been no incidents to which the duty of candour applied.
2. Information about our policies and procedures. Where something has happened that triggers the duty of candour, our staff report this to the Practice Manager, who has responsibility for ensuring that the duty of candour procedure is followed. The Practice Manager records the incident and reports as necessary to NHS Grampian. When an incident has happened, the manager and staff set up a learning review. This allows everyone involved to review what happened and identify changes for the future. All new staff learn about the duty of candour at their induction. We know that serious mistakes can be distressing for staff as well as people who use care and their families. We have occupational support in place for our staff in the form of debriefing if they have been affected by a duty of candour incident. Where patients are affected by the duty of candour, we have arrangements in place to provide welfare support as necessary.
If you would like more information about Fyvie Oldmeldrum Medical Group, please contact the practice as detailed below:
Practice Manager, Fyvie Oldmeldrum Medical Group, Academy Way, Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire,
AB51 0JZ
Tel 0345 0130730
Email [email protected]
Kerry Dunn
Practice Manager
Medical Training/Teaching Practice
Our practice is a teaching practice. Our GP Registrars are fully qualified doctors and have a great deal of hospital experience. They are attached to our practice for varying periods and will become fully qualified GPs after completing their training. They are at all times encouraged to seek advice when required from the other GPs in the surgery. For teaching purposes we video some consultations but only with the patients consent.
We are also fortunate enough to have medical students attached to the practice for short periods. You will be informed at reception if this is the case when you arrive for your appointment and we hope that you will co-operate with us and help the students to learn about general practice. However, if you do not wish to have a student present during your consultation, please inform the receptionist prior to seeing the doctor. Your wishes will be respected and this will not affect your treatment in any way.
Rights & Responsibilities
Patients’ Rights
- Your medical records will be accurate and up to date and the information will be kept confidential. You have the right to see your health records in line with the Access to Medical Records Act and the Data Protection Act.
- You will receive treatment promptly, in line with the best available evidence, in suitable facilities and from trained and competent staff. You may request care from a particular doctor or other member of staff, though in the event of an urgent or emergency contact the first available member of staff will see you. You have the right to receive a second opinion from other doctors in the practice or by way of referral to other services.
- You will receive care without discrimination on income, race, sex, age, sexuality or disability and will be treated with dignity and respect.
- You have the right to accept or refuse treatment including examinations, tests or diagnostic procedures. You have the right to accept or decline involvement in training and research activities. You will be given enough clear information to make informed choices about your care, and you can have a carer or interpreter to accompany and assist you. You, your families and carers will receive effective communication on your care where appropriate.
- You have the right to comment on your care and to make suggestions or complaints. We will investigate all complaints in line with our practice complaints procedure, details of which are available from the practice. You have the right to receive information about the services that we provide.
Patients’ Responsibilities
- Be polite and courteous to all members of staff.
- Be on time for appointments, or contact the practice in good time to cancel or rearrange appointments.
- Attend the surgery for care whenever possible and limit requests for a home visit to those occasions when travelling is not possible as a result of your medical condition.
- Make use of the out of hours service for urgent and emergency conditions only.
- Request repeat prescriptions well in advance.
- Participate appropriately in your own healthcare and treatment.
Patient Complaints
Fyvie Oldmeldrum Medical Group complaints procedure:
You can make your complaint in person, by phone, by email or in writing.
We have a two stage complaints procedure. We will always try to deal with your complaint quickly. But it is clear that the matter will need a detailed investigation, we will tell you and keep you updated on our progress.
Stage One – We will always try to resolve your complaint quickly, within five working days if we can.
If you are dissatisfied with our response, you can ask us to conhsider your complanit at stage two.
Stage Two – Investigation
We will look at your complaint at this stage if you are dissatisfied with our response at Stage One. We also look at some complaints immediatelty at this stage, if it is clear that they are complex or need detailed investigation.
We will acknowledge your complaint within three working days. We4 will give you our decision as soon as possible. This will be after no more than 20 working days unless there is clearly a good reason for needing more time.
The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
If, after receiving our final decision on your complaint, you remain dissatisfied with our decision or the way we have handled your complaint, you can ask the SPSO to consider it.
We will tell you how to do this when we send you our final decision.
Fyvie Oldmeldrum Medical Group is committed to providing high quality care and treatment to people in our community through the delivery of safe, effective and person-centred care. We understand, however, that sometimes things go wrong. If you are dissatisfied with something we have done, or have not done, please tell us and we will do our best to put things right. If we cannot resolve matters in the way you want, we will explain why it’s not possible to do as you suggest.
The following information tells you about our complaints procedure and how to make a complaint. It includes information about what you can expect from us when we are dealing with your complaint.
What is a complaint?
We regard a complaint as:
Any expression of dissatisfaction about our action or lack of action, or about the standard of service provided by us or on our behalf.
If you need to complain about something, we encourage you to do so. We also understand that your complaint may involve more than one NHS body or service, or relate to both health and social care services, or it may be about someone working on our behalf. Our complaints procedure covers all of these possibilities.
Who can complain?
Anyone can make a complaint to us. You can complain directly to us, or if you would rather have someone make the complaint on your behalf, we can deal with your representative. This could be a relative, a carer, a friend or any other person that you choose. We can also give you information about advocacy services, and about the Patient Advice and Support Service, which can help you to make your complaint. If you agree to someone making the complaint on your behalf, it is important for you to know that we will need to ask for your permission for us to deal with that person.
What can I complain about?
You can complain about things like:
Your care and/or treatment;
delays;
a failure to provide a service;
an inadequate standard of service;
a lack of information and clarity about appointments;
difficulty in making contact with us for appointments or queries;
treatment by or attitude of a member of our staff;
scheduled or unscheduled ambulance care;
environmental or domestic issues;
operational and procedural issues;
our failure to follow the appropriate process; and
your dissatisfaction with our policy.
We realise that it is not possible to list everything that you can complain about. If you want to complain about something that we have not listed above, we encourage you to do so.
What can’t I complain about?
There are some things we cannot deal with through our complaints handling procedure. These include:
a routine first-time request for a service, for example a request for an appointment or a request for a specific course of treatment;
a request for a second opinion in respect of care or treatment;
matters relating to private healthcare or treatment;
matters relating to services not provided by or funded by the NHS;
a previously concluded complaint or a request to have a complaint reconsidered where we have already given our final decision;
a complaint made by an employee of the NHS Board or health service provider or other person in relation to their employment contract;
a complaint that is being or has been investigated by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO);
a complaint arising from a suggested failure to comply with a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act; and a complaint about which you have commenced legal proceedings, or have clearly stated that you intend to do so, rather than pursue the matter using the Fyvie Oldmeldrum Medical Group complaints procedure.
We also realise that it is not possible to list everything that you cannot complain about. If other procedures can help you resolve your concerns, we will give information and advice to help you.
How do I complain?
You can complain in person at the place where you have received care, treatment or advice, or where the incident that you want to complain about happened.
Fyvie Oldmeldrum Medical Group
Academy Way
Oldmeldrum
Aberdeenshire
AB51 0JZ
Tel: 0345 013 0730 E-mail [email protected]
You can also complain by phone, in writing or by email at:
NHS Grampian Feedback Service
Summerfield House
2 Eday Road
Aberdeen
AB15 6RE
Tel: 0345 337 6338 E-mail: [email protected]
Wherever possible we encourage you to speak with a member of staff. It’s easier for us to resolve complaints if you make them quickly and directly to the service concerned. So please talk to a member of our staff, they will always try to resolve any problems on the spot if it is possible to do so.
When complaining, please tell us:
your full name and address, and your email address if this is your preferred method of contact;
the full name, address and date of birth of the person affected if you are complaining on behalf of somebody else;
as much as you can about the complaint;
what has gone wrong;
when did this happen;
where did this happen; and
how you want us to resolve the matter.
Giving us this information will help us to clearly identify the problem and what we need to do to resolve matters.
How long do I have to make a complaint?
Normally, you must make your complaint within six months of:
the event you want to complain about; or
finding out that you have a reason to complain, but no longer than 12 months after the event itself.
In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to accept a complaint after the time limit. If you feel that the time limit should not apply to your complaint, please tell us why. If we decide that, because of the time that has passed since the incident occurred, we cannot consider your complaint, you can ask the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) to review our decision.
What happens when I have complained?
We will always tell you who is dealing with your complaint. Our complaints procedure has two stages:
Stage one – early, local resolution
We aim to resolve complaints quickly and close to where we provided the service. Where appropriate, this could mean an on-the-spot apology and explanation if something has clearly gone wrong and immediate action to resolve the problem.
Sometimes we will have to make some enquiries before we can respond to your complaint. We will give you our decision at Stage one in five working days or less, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
If we cannot resolve your complaint at this stage, we will explain why and tell you what you can do next. We might suggest that you take your complaint to Stage two. You may choose to do this immediately or sometime after you get our initial decision.
Stage two – investigation
Stage two deals with two types of complaint: those that have not been resolved at Stage one and those that are complex and require detailed investigation.
When using Stage two we will:
acknowledge receipt of your complaint within three working days;
where appropriate, discuss your complaint with you to understand why you remain dissatisfied and what outcome you are looking for; and
give you a full response to the complaint as soon as possible and within 20 working days.
If our investigation will take longer than 20 working days, we will tell you. We will agree revised time limits with you and keep you updated on progress.
What if I’m still dissatisfied?
If you are still dissatisfied with our decision or the way in which we have dealt with your complaint when we have sent you our full response, you can ask the SPSO to look at it.
The SPSO cannot normally look at:
a complaint that has not completed our complaints procedure, so please make sure it has done so before contacting the SPSO;
events that happened, or that you became aware of, more than a year ago; or
a matter that has been or is being considered in court.
You can contact the SPSO:
In Person: By Post
SPSO SPSO
4 Melville Street Freepost EH641
Edinburgh Edinburgh
EH3 7NS EH3 0BR
Freephone: 0800 377 7330
Online contact www.spso.org.uk/contact-us
Website: www.spso.org.uk
Mobile site: http://m.spso.org.uk
Getting help to make your complaint
We understand that you may be unable, or reluctant, to make a complaint yourself. We accept complaints from the representative of a person who is dissatisfied with our service as long as the person has given their permission for us to deal with that person. We can take complaints from a friend, relative, or an advocate, if you have given them your consent to complain for you.
The Patient Advice and Support Service (PASS) is an organisation that provides free and confidential advice and support to patients and other members of the public in relation to NHS Scotland. The service promotes an awareness and understanding of the rights and responsibilities of patients and can advise and support people who wish to make a complaint to the NHS. Further information and contact details can be found on the PASS web site:
www.patientadvicescotland.org.uk
We are committed to making NHS services easy to use for all members of the community. In line with our statutory equalities duties, we will always ensure that reasonable adjustments are made to help you to access and use our services. If you have trouble putting your complaint in writing, or want this information in another language or format, tell us in person, contact us on Tel: 0345 337 6338 , email us at [email protected]
Our contact details
Please contact us by the following means:
Fyvie Oldmeldrum Medical Group
Acadamy Way
Oldmeldrum
Aberdeenshire
AB51 0JZ
Tel: 0345 013 0730 E-mail [email protected]
We can also give you this leaflet in other languages and formats (such as large print, audio and Braille).
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) came into force on 1/1/2005. It gives a general right of access to information held by public authorities, sets out exemptions from that right and places a number of obligations on public authorities. With certain exceptions, the practice will be required to: Let you know in writing if we hold the information you have asked for; and provide this within 20 working days, giving advice or assistance to anyone seeking information. The purpose of the Scheme is to let you know what information is readily available from us e.g. on our website or via letter. In creating and reviewing this Scheme, we have to consider the public interest when:
- Allowing public access to the information we hold; and
- Publicising the reasons for decisions that we make.
By law, our Scheme must:
- Set out the classes of information that we publish or intend to publish;
- Say how we will publish the information in each class; and
- Say if we will provide the information free or charge for it.
Most information provided in this scheme will be freely available for downloading from the practice website once this has been created by NHS Grampian. Other information listed in this Scheme, will be available when requested in writing from the practice manager. The FOI Act provides exemptions for certain classes of information. If the exemptions apply to the information you have requested you will be informed in writing. Generally, access to information will be free of charge. Any charges will reflect the staff time necessary to produce the information and any copying and postage. We will let you know these charges when you request the information and we will require payment in advance.
Violent and Aggressive Behaviour
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) define violence as: “Any incident in which a person working in the healthcare sector is verbally abused, threatened or assaulted by a patient or member of the public in circumstances relating to his or her employment.”
The Health at Work PIN Guidelines expand upon this definition: “Violence is not restricted to acts of aggression, which result in physical harm. It also includes behaviours such as gestures or language that may cause staff to feel afraid, threatened or abused.”
All members of staff are trained to respond as effectively as possible to individuals’ requests, within the constraints placed upon them by available resources in the practice. If staff are subjected to violent or aggressive behaviour as defined above, they have the right to take various actions to address the situation and protect themselves from further abuse. These may include any of the following;
- Make the individual aware of their concerns about abuse and attempt to resolve any differences.
- Refer the individual to the practice manager or a doctor to attempt to resolve any differences.
- Inform the individual of their concern about abuse and discontinue contact with the patient if this continues e.g. by ending a telephone contact where abuse is involved.
- Lodge a formal written complaint against the individual to the practice complaints officer. This may result in the individual being contacted by the complaints officer to respond to such a complaint.
- Contact the police to report an episode of violent or aggressive behaviour and institute criminal proceedings against an individual.
The practice has the right to remove from their list, any patient who is deemed to have subjected a member of staff to violent or aggressive behaviour.